Man arrested after fleeing into acquaintance’s apartment and keeping occupants from leaving for over two hours

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kendrick Rashaed Bullard, 33, was arrested early this morning after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop into an acquaintance’s apartment and then forcing the occupants, including a 16-year-old, to sit in the bathroom of their apartment for over two hours until officers forced entry into the apartment.

At about 8:55 p.m. on July 1, a Gainesville Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Bullard’s girlfriend; Bullard was in the passenger seat and allegedly fled on foot during the traffic stop into an apartment at Gardenview Apartments (2220 SW 34th Street).

There were two people inside the apartment, including a 16-year-old, and they said Bullard “busted into the residence shouting” and did not know why he was in their apartment; they said Bullard would not let them leave.

The adult victim reportedly said he knew Bullard, who used to be his neighbor, and he considered Bullard to be “very high-tempered” and was in fear that he and the juvenile would be in danger if he tried to leave. The adult victim said Bullard told them to sit in the bathroom and withheld their phones, which were being called repeatedly by law enforcement officers.

After officers determined that Bullard did not live at the apartment, they forced entry and reportedly found Bullard in a closet in the back bedroom of the apartment.

Post Miranda, Bullard reportedly said he had called the juvenile victim during the traffic stop and the juvenile victim said he could come inside the apartment, and the arresting officer confirmed that Bullard’s call log showed a four-minute phone conversation with the juvenile victim. Bullard said he did not threaten the victims but just asked them to stay inside, “and if it came down to it, he would leave the home without confrontation.”

Bullard reportedly said he never withheld the victims’ phones or kept the victims from using them, but officers reported after Bullard was arrested that the victims’ phones were found in an area where the victims would not have had access to them.

The arresting officer noted that although Bullard said the juvenile victim told Bullard he could come inside the apartment, the adult victim did not want him there and told him to leave when they heard officers commanding Bullard to come out. The juvenile victim also reportedly said he never gave Bullard permission to come inside the apartment. The arresting officer reported, “Despite [Bullard] insisting that he offered to leave the home, [Bullard] remained in the home and kept [the victims] from leaving or answering their phones for over two hours until [officers] forced entry into the home. Officers gave loud PA announcements for the whole two-hour time span.”

Bullard also had an active warrant from April 2023 for allegedly picking up a dropped debit card at the Butler Plaza Walmart and quickly using it to purchase $1,771 in merchandise before the victim realized the card was missing.

Bullard has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, two counts of false imprisonment, resisting an officer without violence, grand theft, and fraudulent use of a debit card. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and four misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $220,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.